Six cards – seven points. A grim game for Barry
Barry RFC 7 Pyle 0
Barry RFC have some work to do before the league season kicks off on Saturday 13th November.
The team produced a disappointing display against Pyle at the Reservoir Field on Saturday, in complete contrast to two excellent performances against Cardiff Met in their previous games.
This fixture was arranged at short notice after both teams’ scheduled opponents had called off late. Barry had been expecting to play St Peter’s in a Mallett Cup game, and Pyle had been due to meet Tondu, in what were their final pre-season friendlies.
In the end, the sides were separated by a single score, Alyn Evans going over from close range following a lineout just before the interval, Kyle Barros converting. Evans looked to have scored a second in the corner late on, only for a disputed lineout decision to rule it out.
It was no surprise that the game was low scoring. As well as the strong wind, both sides were guilty of errors, and the flow was not helped by six yellow cards, four of them for Pyle.
Pyle also had one of their coaching team sent off at the interval after a conversation with the referee.
The only real positive for Barry was their excellent defensive display. In the second half, when Pyle twice applied a spell of pressure, Barry produced their familiar backs to the wall approach to keep the visitors out.
“It was heroic defending to come away with the ball each time,” said head coach Liam Scott.
Too many penalties, with both sides guilty, made for a game that always struggled to get going, with handling moves all too rare. Barry’s performance left Scott frustrated. “It was really disjointed, and our discipline was poor,” he said.
Barry have now run out of game time, with the next two weekends taken up by the international break. The club has five training sessions left, with Scott set to make a couple of them opposed, as he bids to get the team back to form before the visit to Ynysybwl on November 13.
Ken Watkins
